We envision every person in Colorado having the opportunity to attain their full health potential.
About Us
Mission and Vision
We increase the distribution of the healthcare workforce to address healthcare disparities in this state.
We support practice
transformation throughout
Colorado to ensure
high quality healthcare
delivery for everyone.
We serve as the
link between Coloradans,
state resources, and the
resources of Anschutz
Medical Campus to help
healthy people thrive
in healthy communities.
We envision every
person in Colorado
having the opportunity
to attain their full
and best health potential.
About AHEC
The Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program was developed by Congress in 1971 to recruit, train, and retain a health professions' workforce committed to rural and underserved populations in the US. The Colorado AHEC system was established in 1977 by Dean Richard Krugman. All AHECs are funded by HRSA AHEC Model grants which are renewed in 5-year grant cycles to attend to the overall mission of AHECs in the US.
Today, AHECs serve 85% of the counties in America including American territories. This Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) funded network provides health education services to students, faculty, and local practitioners, ultimately improving healthcare delivery link between university health science centers and rural and underserved areas of our nation.
Colorado AHEC's Six Regional Centers
The state of Colorado is divided into six regions (Centennial AHEC, Front Range AHEC, San Luis Valley AHEC, Southeastern Colorado AHEC, Southwestern Colorado AHEC, and Western Colorado AHEC). Each state Program Office must be affiliated with a public school of medicine.
The individual Colorado regions attend to the HRSA Model specifications as well as the Anschutz Medical Campus Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs’ direction for service in the support of both entities.
The state office, Colorado AHEC (COAHEC), is located on the Anschutz Medical Campus.
Colorado AHEC
Colorado AHEC connects the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus with current and future health professionals in rural and urban medically underserved areas. COAHEC and its regions do this by providing programs for students who are interested in healthcare, events to improve community health, continuing education for health professionals, and housing for students who are on clinical rotations more than 40 miles from the Anschutz Medical Campus.
COAHEC Location
The Colorado AHEC Office is located on the Anschutz Medical Campus, Building Education 2 North on the fifth floor
Colorado AHEC Program Office Team
Josina Romero O'Connell MD
Program Director
Mariafrancisca Zabalaga-Haberman
Program Manager and Education Specialist
Patti Jo Wagner
Senior Administrative and Program
Elizabeth Jungkind
Grants Manager and Evaluator
Marcos Maldonado
Business Services Coordinator
Catherine Senior
Finance and HR Administrator
Joseph Martinez
Administrative Assistant III
Bryan Less
Digital Media & Communications Director